


Orange Flowers

by tearstainangel



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Slaine cooks for Kaizuka siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 16:47:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5547896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearstainangel/pseuds/tearstainangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slaine is happy and living with Inaho and Yuki-san.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Orange Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Christmas inspired fic~ I ended up jumping on the Christmas bandwagon. Wrote this on the 25th so it's slightly late but, Merry Christmas Everyone~  
> Thanks to Bunny_tree for beta-ing this for me!!! She writes the awesome "Through The Fog", so hop on over if you haven't read it yet~

Slaine blinked blearily, rubbing at his face. A glance at the clock told him that it was 15 minutes past 5am. A little later than usual, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Slaine planted a kiss on Inaho’s forehead, breathing in the orange scent that clung to him before getting out of bed. Twisting upward, he moaned, it felt good to stretch his limbs after waking up.  Kinks straightened out, he went to  wash up, it was time to cook breakfast.

Slaine cracked the eggs into a bowl and whipped them, pouring it in when the pan was heated enough, skilfully flipping until an egg roll was formed. Slaine smiled in satisfaction. He had improved his cooking by leaps and bounds in the last 2 years. Due to Inaho’s promotions, he had less time and energy to tend to the house chores, therefore it was up to Slaine to take care of Inaho and Yuki-san. He was glad to be able to help them out in any way. It was only because of them that he could live such a peaceful and enjoyable life. Plating the food, he set the table, leaning over to smell the flowers in the middle. _Orange_. Just like Inaho.

“Looks good.”

He turned upon hearing Inaho’s voice. A smug smile spread across his face. “Of course. I’ll say that I might even be able to out-cook you now.”

Inaho raised a brow at him, “Oh? We’ll have to test that then. Yuki-nee can be the judge.”

“Humph. That’s not very fair. Yuki-san would choose your food– Ah! I need to wake Yuki-san up.” Slaine hurried to Yuki’s room, knocking on her door. “Yuki-san? It already 6am. Please wake up. Yuki-san?”

Getting no reply, he opened the door and stepped in. He didn’t expect an answer anyway. Yuki-san hardly ever wakes up that easily. Slaine bent over to shake Yuki. “Yuki-san, please wake up.”

“Uhn… I’m up, I’m up…” Yuki mumbled as she pushed at the hands disturbing her sleep and rolled over.

No, you’re not up at all. Slaine sighed and shook her harder. “Yuki-san! Please wake up. You’re going to be late if you don’t wake up!”

Yuki gave a groan and gave in to the insistent shaking. She tiredly sat up, “Good morning, Slaine.”

“Good morning, Yuki-sa– Yuki-san, don’t go back to sleep! Breakfast is ready, so please come eat after washing up.” He tugged Yuki out of bed and pushed her towards the bathroom before she went back to sleep. Leaving her in the bathroom, he closed the bedroom door and returned to the kitchen to see Inaho already finishing his food.

Slaine pouted, “Couldn’t you wait for us before eating?”

“Sorry. I have to leave early again.” Inaho reached up to pat his hair, “Are you lonely because I won’t be around as much as usual?”

“I’m not feeling lonely!” Slaine shot back, but he didn’t remove Inaho’s hand. It felt nice, Inaho’s finger running through his hair. Inaho had been leaving earlier than usual recently, he must be very busy at work. Not being able to eat breakfast together was disappointing, but he couldn’t complain. Inaho was working hard for them after all.

Slaine went to fetch some juice from the fridge and poured some for Yuki and himself, handing one glass to her as she arrived at the kitchen. She glanced at the plates on the table, her gaze lingering on Inaho’s. She must be upset that Inaho started without them. He steered Yuki to her seat, hands on her shoulder. “Today’s breakfast is egg rolls, pancakes and fruit salad. You should eat while it’s hot.”

Yuki smiled at him but her expression seemed a little off. She was definitely unhappy about Inaho’s working schedule. Slaine turned to Inaho, elbowing him in the side. “Don’t be so quiet, you’re making Yuki-san worried.”

Inaho gave Yuki an apologetic look, “Sorry, Yuki-nee. There has been a lot of work recently because of the new project, but I should be able to complete it by next week.”

Yuki didn’t answer, instead she was looking more worried. “That’s good. You’ve been working too much,” Slaine said, trying to defuse the tense atmosphere, “We can eat breakfast together again next week. I’ll cook up something special. Yuki-san likes crepes, so I’ll make some next week, okay?”

Thankfully it seemed to work, as Yuki gave him a pleased smile. “A-ah, you should listen to Slaine, Nao. Don’t overdo it. But crepes sound good, I’ll look forward to it Slaine.”

“If you eat too much sweets, you’ll be complaining about gaining weight again, Yuki-nee.” Inaho checked the clock on the wall, “I have to get going now.”

“Oi, don’t be rude to Yuki-san,” Slaine scolded Inaho as he left the kitchen. He expected Yuki-san to get angry at Inaho, but she just looked distracted. Was she looking forward to the crepes that much?

Slaine sat down to eat, the egg rolls were excellent today. He made small talk with Yuki until he heard Inaho at the door, ready to leave. He liked sending Inaho off every morning, especially when Inaho would always kiss him gently on the lips, then on his nose.

“I’ll be back soon.”

 

* * *

 

“I’m sorry, Slaine. Are you sure you will be okay without me?” Yuki asked as she fussed over him. “I should tell them I won’t go. I can’t leave you here alone.”

Slaine grasped Yuki’s hands, “I’ll be fine. And I’m not alone, Inaho will be here, even if he is very busy now,” he tried to reassure her but it only made her look more concerned. “Don’t worry. You and Inaho just stocked up on food and other necessities, there wouldn’t be any problems okay? I don’t want to disrupt your work, so please attend the trip.”

Yuki threw him another worried look, but agreed not to cancel the excursion. Yuki-san was such a worry-wart. It would only be for a week. But he was happy to see that she cared so much for him.

Slaine walked back into the house, touching the flowers – _orange_ , just like Inaho – that decorated the cupboard along the entryway.

 

* * *

 

Slaine blankly watched the bacon frying in the pan, zoning out. Bacon takes a while before it becomes inedible, so it’s fine even if he lets his mind wonder. Well, Inaho would lecture him about dangers of not paying attention to open fire and to make the best of food ingredients, but even Inaho can’t lecture him if he had no knowledge of it. Slaine hummed a tune under his breath, pleased with his own verdict, he let his thoughts stray to what was bothering him. There was something that was not right. He mulled over the mystery, what was missing? He could feel the answer at the back of his mind but it wouldn’t reveal itself.

“Ugh!” Slaine clutched his head, chopsticks clattering on the floor. His head hurt, as if someone was pounding on it with a hammer. He stumbled away from the stove, falling on the kitchen table. Through his pain-squinted eyes, he realised what the problem was.

_The flowers had wilted._

 

_***_

 

Wiping down the countertop, Slaine considered moving the flowers at the entryway to the living room. It would brighten the interior of the house since the flowers in the kitchen wilted yesterday. It would be a good idea to get a few more plants too. Deciding that he would consult Yuki-nee when she returns home, Slaine placed the cleaning cloth down and massaged his head. This was turning out to be a bad week. He had had a mild headache since the day before and Inaho had to leave even earlier today, he only had time to grab some toast before he went to work.

Slaine sighed, glancing towards the entrance. He wanted to move the flowers, he was compelled to. It would fit better in the living room. The drumming ache at the back of his head pulsed harder. Don’t think about it, just do.

He strode across the house and picked up the vase. The living room table would be the perfect spot for it. Slaine walked over to the table but tripped over the rug, dropping the vase onto… was that Yuki-san’s sweater? The vase shattered, flowers spilling out in disarray, the water seeping into Yuki’s sweater. He stared at the mess. Good news: it would be easier to clean. Bad news: he broke the vase.

Slaine dropped to his knees, his brain was throbbing and his heart hurt, as if he had lost something important. He wanted – needed – to know what it was, but a bigger part of him couldn’t ignore the instinct that shielded him away from the answer. It wasn’t time to remember yet.

He picked up the sweater, mindful of the shards and flowers, keeping the wreckage wrapped up. Dumping the remnants into the trash, Slaine washed the cloth, picking out the fragments caught in the material. The orange scent permeated from the sweater, diluted by the water running through it. The thought that it would disappear after a wash brought a pang to his heart. He didn’t want that to happen, but he couldn’t leave Yuki’s clothing unwashed. It would get ruined, and he didn’t want to disappoint her.

As the scent faded, a scream played over in his mind.

_Protect it! Protect it…the last one!_

 

***

 

He hasn’t left his bedroom in over 2 days, feeding himself with the snacks and water he had stashed in the room. He didn’t feel up to leaving the room, without Yuki-san around and Inaho leaving even earlier, coming back only after dark, he no longer needed to cook for anyone but himself, and he had no desire to do so. With nothing to do but wait for Inaho to return home, Slaine laid sprawled on the bed, he stared at the flowers on the bedside table. They were orange; just like Inaho.

_“You should eat better Slaine. I don’t want you to fall sick.”_

Slaine jerked up, looking around, but there wasn’t anybody in the room but him. Did he imagine Inaho’s voice?

_“Eggs are easy to cook and a good source of protein.”_

He covered his ears. Why was he hearing Inaho’s voice?

_“Eat, Slaine. Something healthy.”_

Ah, if he ate something healthy it would stop. Slaine dragged himself up, body sluggish from his lack of proper food and movement. Stepping into the kitchen, he eyed the carton of eggs.

He broke the first one, slamming it onto the table. The second and third, he managed to crack into the bowl, but the yolk broke and he had to fish out the shells that fell in. The forth, he cracked perfectly.

_“It’s easy, isn’t it?”_

The fifth egg was smashed in his hand. _Please stop, stop talking._ He didn’t want to remember.

_“I’ll teach you how to make stew next. Try to keep up.”_

“I don’t want to remember. Don’t. Don’t make me,” Slaine pleaded. To whom, he did not know.

His legs buckled, no longer strong enough to hold him up, he fell to the ground. He did not register the pain from the fall, the mental anguish overtaking any physical pain possible.

_“I compiled a recipe book for you. Yuki-nee’s favourites are marked with a yellow star.”_

He had realised already, that Inaho was aware at that point.

_“Your favourites are marked with the red heart.”_

That’s why he didn’t include his own favourite dishes.

_“Well, some are what I predict you will enjoy.”_

Instead, Inaho had exclusively taught him his favourite recipes.

_“All you need is in the book.”_

He just wanted to eat those, didn’t he. That’s why he taught him those recipes first.

_You’re so selfish, Inaho._

Slaine cried out, burying his face in his hands, the smashed egg smearing across his face. Tears dripped down, trickling through his fingers. Again and again he remembered. Again and again he forgot.

*

_Inaho crashed into the wall, his body convulsing. His hand gripping his chest. Breathing unevenly, gasping for air as he tried to force Slaine’s name out._

_“He didn’t inform you–“_

_Yuki-san was applying emergency aid to Inaho._

_“There were some complications that aroused from his brain inju–“_

His throat hurt. Why was it hurting?

_“He had been taking medication for it, but it wasn’t hel–“_

There was someone screaming.

_Inaho’s body was cold, so so very cold._

_“He reported several seizures occurin–“_

_The lid covered the cradle, and then he couldn’t see Inaho’s body anymore. Never again._

Ah. It was himself.

*

Slaine went silent, his throat hoarse from bawling. Black creeped the corners of his vision, and then he knew no more.

 

* * *

 

"Yuki-san?”

Yuki turned around, “Slaine! You woke up.” She hurried over to help Slaine to the dining table. “I was so worried. Don't you dare scare me like that again,” she chided him while knowing it wouldn’t be the last time.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Slaine said, giving her a remorseful look. Yuki cupped his face before she pulled Slaine into her arms, hugging him tight.

“I’m never leaving you alone again.”

Slaine hugged her back, whispering, “I’m sorry,” over and over. She released him and patted his hair, “Haa, as long as you promise to be careful, I’ll forgive you. Understand?”

“Understood, madam–“ Slaine replied but stopped when the object on the table caught his eye, his gaze following. “Oh! What beautiful flowers. They smelled like oranges.” _Just like Nao_.

Yuki smiled, what she hoped looked sincere, but her expression felt tight, “They are very beautiful.” She fidgeted, nervous that Slaine could tell that she wasn’t being honest when he perked up, a cheerful smile spread across his face, eyes glimmering like jewels.

“Inaho’s back! And it’s only…” Slaine glanced at the clock, “5pm. He must have finished the project already.”

Yuki froze. She struggled to maintain the happiness on her face. “You should go and welcome him home then.”

She stared at the vase on the table as Slaine dashed over to the door. There weren’t any flowers in the vase, only reed sticks.

The scent of oranges lingered in the air.

_Just like Inaho._

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Did you figure it out before it was revealed?
> 
> My Mother received a scent diffuser for Christmas, which was what started this whole idea. So I spent Christmas day thinking about Nao death. What a cheerful Christmas this year.  
> For people who don't use scent diffusers (I never knew before this either), reed sticks are placed in the vase - which is filled with scented oil - to diffuse the scent into the room.


End file.
